Viktor Lyashko. Photo: Facebook
In Ukraine, more than 1.2 million people have been officially diagnosed with diabetes, but the true number of patients may be much higher. This was announced by Health Minister Viktor Liashko in his Facebook post.
According to him, type II diabetes is particularly dangerous, as it often goes without symptoms, making early diagnosis difficult: “The tricky thing about type II diabetes is that there are virtually no obvious symptoms at the beginning, and people can live with the disease for several years before being diagnosed.”
The Minister also noted that recently there has been an increase in morbidity among young people due to unfavourable changes in lifestyle and nutrition. Lyashko called for simple rules to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and other non-communicable diseases: regular exercise, balanced diet, weight control, smoking and alcohol cessation. The Znajmo platform offers materials with advice on healthy lifestyles, the minister said.
He also stressed the importance of regular screening, which helps not only to diagnose but also to prevent the disease. According to Lyashko, the government is constantly improving methods of detecting diabetes and supporting people already living with the disease. Today, under the Affordable Medicines programme, patients can receive more than 160 different medicines and medical devices, including insulin and glucose test strips, free of charge or with a partial co-payment. About 600,000 Ukrainians have already benefited from the programme in 2024.
This day, 14 November, the global community celebrates World Diabetes Day. According to the WHO, more than 400 million people worldwide are living with diabetes, with about 90% of them having type II diabetes.
